Honeysuckle
by TAYYABALARAIB
Summary: In a marriage that is suppose to bind him, Sasuke is ultimately set free.
1. Chapter 1

**Honeysuckle**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.**

 **Wrote this in one go so excuse my errors.**

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Life, as Sasuke mused, was an amalgam of normalcy and disruption but it was the simplicity of things that left an everlasting impression on you. Like the slight upturn of your wife's lips as she saw you return home while she hung the laundry, hands coming to a halt on a piece of clothing, her small footsteps shrinking the distance between them, laundry basket lying forgotten behind them. The anticipation of seeing her after a long mission always accompanied the dread of her not being there; too good she was for him, after all. But he pushed the unwanted emotion to the back of his mind and saved it for another day, another mission, another return because, at the moment, she's there and that's all that mattered.

It wasn't love, it wasn't adoration either or simple likability - though somewhere in his heart, she did own a place - it was just the fact that she's all he's got and several miles away from Konoha, the place he hated yet cared for because you just can't hate home even if you can't even call it that, and away from everything that defined civilization; she was the only one waiting for him.

And as she drew near and he became more than a lavender blur against a blue and grey backdrop, an "I'm home" slipped his lips effortlessly and he allowed his shoulders to finally sink and weariness to finally claim him because now, he could sleep.

But of course, knowing Hinata and her overwhelming motherliness, there was no going to bed (or futon in their case) with an empty stomach. So, after he had scrubbed a month-long grime off his body and slipped into fresh set of clothes and awaited Hinata's return from the realm of _'kitchen'_ under their kotatsu, eyes heavy with sleep and the calmness of his surroundings singing him a silent lullaby. The dull sizzle from the other side of door and the aroma blanketing their small house, however, was enough to keep him sitting up beneath the warmth of the table. Winter was upon them and although the afternoons were pleasant, with the sun still plentiful but with a slight chill to the air; nights were long and cold.

Hinata emerged from the kitchen donning a mismatched pair of socks - one green and polka dotted and the other lined with pink strips - summoning a smile to his face. Perceptive as ever, her eyes didn't miss the small tug at his lips, painting her face in crimson. "I washed the other pair." She pouted and set the food down before him, nothing extravagant just a simple serving of boiled rice and curry though Hinata's cooking would make up for the lack of color.

Sasuke hadn't realized how hungry he was until the food touched his lips and only when he got a couple of mouthfuls down his throat was he able to respond to her. "You could borrow mine."

"They're too big." She defended as she helped him a second serving of rice.

"Buy new ones."

"I'm saving money." Sasuke looked up at her briefly, the morsel suddenly too big for him to swallow. He scanned the tiny living room they sat in; taking in the paint chipping at several places on the wall, the second-hand kotatsu that he had fixed three times now and the lack of a metal band around her ring finger. Everything was suddenly suffocating and he pushed the food away.

Realizing her error, she quickly tried to elaborate, "Well I was thinking of extending the house. Another bedroom perhaps and maybe buy a few things for my garden. The market is too far away and I was thinking that I'd grow some vegetables to save me the trouble of walking all the way there and some herbs for my ointments and you like my ointments, right? "

He still avoided her gaze despite her pushing the bowl in his hand. He had dragged her into this hell with him - the Hyuuga princess - who always wore finest clothes, and resided in largest estate of Konoha and always ate delectable foods. Not this unsavory rice and watery curry.

He should've never agreed to the elders' suggestion, should never have acted out of selfishness and married her to disperse his loneliness when he could hardly take care of himself. With his property confiscated for his criminal background, measly wage and a cottage of a house, far away from the village because he wouldn't find cheaper land; he was hardly making the ends meet. He had not offered her a ring; their marriage had been a simple contract on a paper with the Hyuugas too eager to discard her because she didn't meet their standards. She had cried herself to sleep on their wedding night, claiming that this was the only way she could save her younger sister from the seal and he had seen glimpses of Itachi in her tears. And of all the things he didn't and couldn't give her, his respect was not among them.

"Sasuke," she crawled up to him and a ghost of a touch lingered on his arm.

"I'm... " he pushed, urging himself to return her with a fraction of what she offered him with every second she stayed in his crumbling home. Words didn't cost much - though sometimes they merited fortunes - but Hinata was a simple woman. A few _'thank_ _yous'_ and simple _'good_ _mornings'_ were enough to satiate her. "Are you happy? "

Fingers interlaced, he begged Kami to serve him a lie because he was a broken man whose pieces were held together by a very thin string that wouldn't take much to snap. But her hand wrapping around his was far better than the lie he was asking for and he knew, in that moment, that whatever she'd give him wouldn't take anything from him. Because she was a generous woman. She only gave. "I won't deny that it's hard sometimes but I'v come to love this place like a home. I've accepted you in my life and it may take time but I'm more than willing to accept you in my heart."

He pulled her down with him, under the kotatsu where it was warm, food and futons forgotten for the night. It was the only luxury he could afford her and he wouldn't hold back on the one thing he could offer. When time came, Sasuke thought as he kissed her pulse, he would give her all the clothes she could wear, and all the jewels she could feast her eyes upon. He'd buy her a fancy house and she'd never have to worry about saving money and wearing mismatched socks for it ever again.

And if he could, if that was possible and if there was any part of it still left in him; he'd give her his heart because she would do the same for him.

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 **This can pass for a one-shot but I can extend it if you guys are interested**

 **Leave a review if it isn't too much trouble.**

 **TAYYABALARAIB**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Thank you so much for your support everyone. Keep the revi** **ews coming and keep me rooted. I tend to get bored easy.**

 **Disclaimer : Don't own Naruto**

 **Excuse my errors.**

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It was her first birthday away from home, her old home, and although the day didn't mark anything special - age was just a number after all - and her special day (even if it was only a reminder that you had one year less to live) was often overlooked by the festivities of the coming year; there had always been those who celebrated her happiness with her. Take her previous birthday for instance. Hanabi had baked her a cake, or at least attempted to; Shino and Kiba and Kurenai had all been there, with little Mirai, offering her presents and good wishes. A couple of hyuuga branch members had also wished her a happy birthday as they'd pass by in hallways, or find her sitting on the veranda enjoying hot macha and buried deep into her book.

And although she had not received many visitors since her marriage to Sasuke, most couldn't even find their way to her house - she wondered how when most of them possessed at least chunin level skills. It still didn't stop her from being optimistic and believe that soon there'd be someone banging at her door, demanding her to get her ass out of that damn house - _coughtKibacough_ \- and drag her to a diner for a cheap yet delightful meal because, really, it's the sentimentality behind it that counted. They'd probably detour to the downtown karaoke shop and sing their throats raw. Eventually they'd hit the bars to share a couple of drinks, sake most probably, and decide over light talk what they wanted to do on her next birthday.

Hinata had been looking forward to it for the entire year.

Sasuke, unsurprisingly, wasn't home. He seldom was though Hinata didn't hold it against him. He was like a gust of wind, a craved rarity, ephemeral but always proficient in implementing their worth in most precious of ways, in the little things he did, in the small hugs he offered before departing for missions, or dragging her futon close to his on cold nights, or allowing her to slip her cold feet beneath the warmth of his legs and pretending he was too caught up in his scroll. So how could she summon any ill feeling for him for working hard when that was the very attribute that made her fall in love the first time she did? He was doing it for her, for them. Longer missions tended to pay more and offered longer breaks in between, after all. She still wished he were here for her birthday though.

But that was okay. She already had her hands full with all the tasks unmarked on her long to-do list. She needed to clean the house, wash every corner of it, polish the floors, dust the only bookshelf in their possession, do something about the cobwebs those spiders kept spinning. She just hoped Shino would understand.

Regrettably, it hadn't taken her long to complete all the chores. By the time afternoon rolled in, she had not only cleaned but also cooked herself a small lunch, advance cooked a meal that she'd be sharing with her guests who were probably running late and settled down with a bulky book and pulling out pressed flowers from between its pages. Some ended in the old frames she had brought with her from the Hyuuga compound. Plucking the old photographs out of them scattered a memory lane by her feet. She didn't care though. Most of them were hers - as a little girl in a tiny kimono, her smiling through the tall grass with a flower basket by her side, her standing before the ninja academy on her first day, her in her chunin vest. Hinata's hands stopped at it.

She looked so vibrant in that one. Battered but more alive than ever, bruised but better than ever, a huge smile on face that could make any eye squint. Ah yes, her winning a chunin vest - a much desired but unappreciated accomplishment on her part. This was going into trash can, Hinata decided as she hung her flower pressings in the living room.

Later that day, she received a message from Kiba via a messenger hawk wishing her a happy birthday and apologizing for failing to show up. There was a reason stated for it in the letter but Hinata couldn't care to read it till the end. She didn't care.

Shino was an instructor at acadmey so he was probably busy. After all, what did shinobi care for winter breaks? This was the time to toughen up with the harsh weather. Kurenai sensei was a single mother, she couldn't possibly spare time for her and with a new year to prepare for nonetheless. And who knew what restrictions her father threw Hanabi's way - the new Hyuuga leader-to-be.

Hinata put the meal away.

It was all so tiring suddenly. Her garden wasn't faring so well. The land just refused to grow anything. The new year was just around the corner and she was completely alone. She just never realized how truly unwanted she was. With that thought, Hinata put the needle down and pushed away the pile of cushion covers she was working on. She wanted her house to look warm and welcoming with the little things she did but she guessed that was a waste of effort. What did it matter? What did it all matter?

She felt sorry for the spiders now.

A few hours into dusk, she was shaken gently to wakefulness by a concerned Sasuke. The entire ordeal must had been exhausting for her to have fallen asleep right there on the cold living room floor. She huddled closer to his warmth, letting her head rest on his shoulder in her dreary state. Only when she tasted something sweet on her tongue did she open her eyes to give him a second look over. Oh, he was back.

"I'm guessing you didn't eat anything. Again." She heard him say, the unmistakable flavor of cinnamon fresh in her mouth. Sasuke pushed the confection to her lips, urging her to take another bite. "I'm willing to bet my chokoto that no one ever wished you a birthday quite like this." She didn't need to look up to see the smile precipitating in his voice.

Everything was blurry suddenly and the gentleness with which he scoped her hair up in a bun and pushed something between her indigo locks to keep it there had her tears running down her cheeks. "I got you something, see if you like it."

Instead of letting go, she held onto him tighter. It didn't matter if he got her a comb, or a crown or the entire universe. At least he remembered and rushed home to her days before completion of his mission.

It was the sentimentality behind it that counted, after all.

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 **I'll eventually go into detail about their reasons for choosing each other but for now I'll just write about their troubles and their feelings and their life in general.**

 **Leave a review if it isn't too much trouble.**

 **TAYYABALARAIB**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **You all are AWESOME! Thank you for your support.**

 **Not sure what I think of this chapter. A little different from the other two. Please don't hate me if you don't like it. Let me know what you think of it and what I should and shouldn't do.**

 **Disclaimer : Don't own Naruto.**

 **Excuse my errors.**

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No eye missed Sasuke's quick pace and even though he was in charge of the mission, so his motives should not be questioned, and highly feared; it still didn't stop other members of the team from asking, even if reluctantly. Because his clients seemed not much bothered by the haste he was making and simply stuck with observing him from the other side of the thin curtains of their carriage, small smiles playing on their painted lips - that mother and daughter duo, in their gold chains and rings and dresses. He always had a reason: _'the area is perfect for an ambush, let's not wait for it to come; I'm sensing men nearby, we better outrun them, dusk is approaching quick, pick up your pace to cover more distance_... _'_ and he too wanted to believe in his reasons lest it became a lie and he didn't like lying, but it appeared that he'd be returning home a liar and would be okay with it as long as it meant getting to her in time.

He was seldom sent on escorting missions, assassination and spying were his forte, but they had requested his services and apparently only he could be trusted to safely deliver Daimyo-sama's family home. And thus, for the important position they held in the office of the Land of Gold, the mission had jumped from a simple C-rank to A. Sasuke had no qualms about it, if anything the mission had proved to be a blessing in disguise in more ways than one: it paid well and he could easily control the time to which it stretched. But he especially wanted to thank Kami-sama when he stumbled across a gold pendant sitting on the other side of the thick glass window of a small jewelry shop and he was instantly reminded of his wife and her impending birthday that would probably be spent in the solitude of their small home considering how they were avoided like the plague by the people of Konoha and the few who did care to associate with them were busy like bees with their life, which considering their ranks did not come as a surprise - a hokage in making, a head medic, a master tracker and an academy instructor and heir to his clan - how did they end up with such fancy circle of friends?

He wanted to get Hinata something nice for all that she did for him, for putting up with everything that defined him because he was not an easy person. For all the times she welcomed him home with warm smiles and meals despite his absence being as difficult for her as it was for him.

But to his disappointment, the pendant was a little more than his wallet allowed even if he had brought all his savings for the very reason. The shop keeper did provide him with many other options; of course, the jewelers of a land that seemed to grow gold came with their pockets full of jewels but the pendant had caught his attention and he had already pictured Hinata with it around her delicate neck and it just felt wrong to return home without it. The possibilities were endless too, he could easily pick up a job or two to make enough money to buy it during his stay at their destined village. With his mind set, they set out again their journey with the Daimyou's daughter's eyes on Sasuke.

She did approach him later, with her touch burning the skin of his shoulder and eyes, think with liner, sinking him ten feet under. She was at least ten years his junior and if he were to give in to her unvoiced pleas, it would be so very wrong and in not just him being unfaithful to his wife. So, when he told her about him being a married man and very much committed to his significant other, she had laughed in her overly sweet voice and accused him of lying as she pointed to his unoccupied ring finger. It took everything in him to not lash out so he told her, in his calmest, most civilized voice, that people like him, people like his wife did not bind themselves with rings but with promises of a faithfulness and respect and a lifetime with the other. Her red-hot rage had not been a secret.

That day when they arrived at her village, the village where the wealth herself seemed to reside; there had been a grand celebration in honor of their Daimyou's fifty-something birthday. As if it was not posh enough, they had left no stone unturned to embellish the place further with colored lights and flags and decorations that should be kept under lock and key because they seemed to have cost a small fortune. Sasuke, however, was not impressed. It may be an attempt to show off their wealth but it clearly showed their lack of intelligence for the village attracted too much attention and there could be a rouge ninja lurking around these parts. Then again, if they could afford such lavish arrangements, they could afford protection. That'd explain why there were so many ninjas waltzing around a non-shinobi village.

He was welcomed warmly by Daimyou himself, thanked for his services to his family and showed an extravagant room for his stay there. His mission description dictated that he kept a look out for any threats to the royal family until their job was taken over by another group. And while he kept an eye on them, he sent out his clones to fix an old woman's roof and helped a group of eccentric teenagers learn a couple of _'ninja_ _moves'_. Needless to say, their generosity was the only thing Sasuke liked about these people.

His stay afterwards could be defined as an itch he desperately wanted but couldn't get rid of. He was restless not only because he wanted to go home but also because the people of the village were too different. They were a shameless lot and money was their way of life. Their clothing was scarce and modesty non-existant, bellies protruding with too much to eat and too little to do and minds clogged up with all the alcohol they consumed throughout the day. Perhaps it was just the air of conviviality, though Sasuke highly doubted it. And just because he decided to not comment on the way the women there and even some members of male population eyed him like vultures and brushed past him every chance they got didn't mean he was blind to it. He was a ninja after all, his eyes saw it all and his brain analyzed everything.

It couldn't have taken more time for his last day there to dawn. He had been more than ready to leave, sending out his team to gather rations for their journey back and making last minute preparations. Their mission ended with the beginning of Dimyou's birthday celebrations but upon his insistence to attend the function and for the sake of convenience, they were to leave early the next day. He still had plenty of time left on his hands to buy that pendant and get to his wife in time.

 _Excess of everything is bad_ \- his father used to tell him and at the moment, standing amidst the ecstatic crowed, he couldn't agree with him more. They were too happy and it did come as a surprise to him that even happiness, if not in modesty, lost its charm. Just being there and listing to their high pitched, alcohol induced squeals were making him depressed. He wanted to get out of there or he'd lose his mind. But nothing was as disheartening as the sight of Daimyou-sama's wife, donning a deep necked dress with ample portion of her breasts on display, her blood red lips stretched in the ugliest smiles Sasuke had ever seen. Her eyes trailed to him and she smiled wider, tracing the pendant resting on her bosom with her index finger, the same pendant he had wanted to get Hinata. Unable to take anymore, he left the festivities.

Sasuke never felt sorry for himself. He took everything thrown his way and molded it in something akin to anger and rage and became stronger at the cost of it. But at that moment he wanted nothing more than to slip under his sheets and indulge in self-pity. It would've looked beautiful on Hinata, that same pendant that looked as hideous as a repulsive label around the old woman's neck. He felt awful, the first time he'd wanted to do something for her, he failed miserably. Perhaps he was destined to never make her happy and eventually she'd realize it too. But he wasn't allowed to feel miserable for long when the woman silently slipped into his room and presented him with an offer, "I know what you want and you know what I want." She smiled seductively at him, fingering the jewel on her chest. "Let's make a deal and we can both be happy for tonight."

Disgusted, with both himself and her, he tried to flee but she caught him by his wrist. "My daughter tells me you've been eyeing this pendant. Don't you want it? For your wife, perhaps?"

At the mention of Hinata, he snapped. "Let go of me or you won't be leaving with your hand intact."

As if thunder bolted, she retracted her arm. "A-are you threatening me? Do you know what's the punishment for threatening Daimyou-sama's wife?"

"Do you? Because if you don't, you won't live long enough to find out." It was enough to shut her up and leave him to his peace even if it didn't stay with him after everything that occurred. Sasuke didn't take long to gather his team and set off immediately. He was asked many questions; about their sudden departure and about the urgency behind it. He was tired of lying so he told them the truth, about wanting to be there for Hinata's birthday, of which they were more than accepting and secretly supporting.

Eventually he'd find Hinata another gift, more suiting of who she was and what she represented and even if he was presented with the same pendant, and many others, he would not have it because she was above these things and above those women who even with their wealth any jewels and beauty and with their eyes lined with gold and teeth bleached to perfection did not come close to her; women who carelessly threw their morals and principles out the window like some sort of discarded cloth for pleasures that came far less cheaper.

And eventually her tears of joy at just having him with her would be more than relieving and he'd feel stupid for worrying about something so... insignificant. Things like these had never held any meaning between them and to her, he was the same Sasuke she married, who even without all those presents was just as precious to her as he was with them.

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 **Leave a review if it isn't too much trouble.**

 **TAYYABALARAIB**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Thank you all for your support. Updating early because my pc isn't with me and I might not get to have someone else's anytime soon. Alright, on with the story.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.**

 **Wrote in haste so excuse my errors.**

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It was surprising how much one could loath themself. Then again if one was as disgusting as his reflection in the mirror with a mismatched set of eyes and heavy shadows under them and a hideous prosthetic limb attached to his forearm that he would cover with bandages if only he could summon an ounce of energy to do it; it wasn't _that_ surprising. Not really.

Outside, the sun had yet to rise but it was less dark so he slipped under his sheets once again even if sleep would not come to him, like the night before, and in the little light the hours before the sunrise had to offer, he'd simply stare at the blades of the ceiling fan that'd keep running in circles, even if Hinata had curled into a ball because of the morning chill and even if he wasn't very toasty himself, because it gave him something to do.

It was one of _those_ days, when his body just didn't want to move and sitting up was an effort because the medication from earlier would make his head heavy and ignoring his nausea was just not worth the weariness it left him with. So he'd remain tucked in his sheets and wait for it to fade or for hokage to summon him because indolence only contributed to his state and even if it wouldn't just go away that easily, he could just not pay it any mind and let his work help him pass it by. It was like a soap opera - came in episodes and was dramatic, a strange emotional experience, like his heart was in an invisible grip and being squeezed slowly and the ache in his chest would climb the deep pit in his heart, up his mind and open doors for all the negative thoughts and memories that he desperately tried to silence every passing moment of his miserable existence. It accompanied an irrational urge to cry that he'd push back by blinking rapidly and taking deep breaths.

He never told Hinata thought he didn't put any conscious effort into hiding it either because then he wouldn't get to get up (even if he wouldn't exactly be asleep because insomnia wasn't exactly a stranger) with her running her delicate fingers through his dark mane and kissing every pit and every bump on his face and whisper a gentle _"wake up, Sasuke"_ into his ear and all he'd want to do was pull her to him because this made surviving the previous night somewhat worthwhile. And when asked, he'd simply turn breakfast down because that'd mean getting up and leaving his sanctuary so he'd simply blame his lack of interest in food on his nausea at which she'd simply nod and get up to slip out of the room and an overwhelming surge of fear would grip him seeing her leave because she might leave him for good. So he'd simply lie there, sensing for her chakra from time to time and telling himself that it was just his paranoia talking.

It wasn't fair on her and she just didn't get that some things were just not in her control but it was not fair that she tried so hard only to meet his irritability in return. Like yesterday, when he had broken one of her framed flower pressings in the living room and he couldn't bring himself to look up at her standing at the kitchen door, silently observing him. And when he had proceeded with collecting the shards only to have it dig into his palms and Hinata had reached out for his bleeding hand; he had ruthlessly jerked away from her touch and glared. But the hurt that flashed across her face only made him feel guiltier and he scurried away, mumbling apologies.

Time moved by slowly, or perhaps it was the world that had decelerated down to a snail's pace because it felt like ages and yet the day was nowhere near over. He did not know how long did he lie there, being reassured by the clattering of dishes in the kitchen until his wife barged noisily into their room, flashing a smile so bright that it seemed to clash sharply with the glumness in the dark room. She tried to tug him out of his futon because she needed him to see something but he tried to shoo her away with a _'not now, Hinata'_. She, apparently, wasn't having any of it so resorted to dragging his futon out of the room and steered it all the way to the veranda where it was bright and sunny. Both embarrassed and blinded by the brightness he pulled the sheet over his head, groaning complains but smiling beneath them. He was amused, but not enough to oblige her. She tugged at his sheets several times but Sasuke refused to let go, "so you want me to play rough Uchiha," she muttered, "I'll play it rough." And rough she played when she pinched his nose and he immediately jumped to a sitting position, annoyed, but seeing her laugh just couldn't find it in him to let it show other than that in a small frown.

He let her drag him to her garden, holding his hand in hers, guiding him to several rows of tomato plants, loaded with fruit and holding onto the wooden support they were provided with. Most of them were ripe - perfectly round and blushing, glistening in the sun. There were a few that were behind the others in taking a crimson hue and swelling up with the warm aid. Sasuke crouched down to touch a green orb, no longer in his wife's garden but by his mother's side, in the shoes of a four year old, happy and laughing and absolutely okay. His mother had called them 'baby tomatoes' and he had loved the name so much that he asked for it a dozen times in a row. She eventually got tired so she wrote it down on his wrist and he was the happiest child in the world. "She didn't deserve to die... the way she did." He never really talked about this stuff with her and he didn't know what compelled him to say it out loud this time either. Perhaps it was his therapist urging him to confide in someone about his horrible experiences. He couldn't offer much, being a good little shinobi that he was, he was supposed to endure. Because he carried secrets that could shake the very foundation of this village, secrets that he'd take with him to his grave.

"It's a curse really. All the best people in our life die early." His head snapped to her, and the way his eyes glistened and his breathing quickened was only a small glimpse of the storm that was given birth by that one statement. His hands trembled by his side and Hinata had to do something quick before he shattered because he just couldn't lose her and because the mere thought was tugging cruelly at his heart. "Don't worry Sasuke. You will not get rid of me that easy." She excused herself, something about fetching a fruit basket for the tomatoes that she'd later use in a tomato pie but it was just an attempt at allowing him to save face because she knew he wouldn't want to appear weak when he pressed his sleeve to his eyes because how could his tears escape her keen sight?

He thanked her silently.

There were days when he thought of dying because he was better off dead and the only thing keeping him rooted to the world of living was Hinata's efforts to make it easier for him. He was grateful and it was what kept him going on because she tried, she really did, even if for naught because some things were just not in her control so he did his best too because she, at least, deserved that much from him.

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 **In case any of you didn't get, Sasuke suffers from depression. Being someone who suffers from depression myself, I can tell that it is NOT easy. Often times, those who suffer are accused of being ungrateful and not trying hard enough but there's no way out of it other than that to wait it out. All that can be done is to keep going on and hope for the best.**

 **I'll try to not drag this story out too much. Maybe twelve chapters at most because I want to finish this story, get at least one chapter out per week. I already have several chapters written ahead of time so keep reviewing and keep me motivated.**

 **TAYYABALARAIB**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **So the last chap came out a little depressing. Tbh I had wanted to convey Sasuke's emotional struggle because I refuse to believe that after what he had been through, he wasn't scarred for life. His experiences have been nothing short of traumatizing and I had wanted to show how he deals with the emotions that his past evokes on daily basis. With that being said, I would like to respond to my readers questions and criticism on last chap, which was plenty;** ) **But** **to those who are ever supporting; thank you so very much. It's really appreciated.**

 **Guest: Hello, do you plan on making them truly happy at any point later? Are they gonna have family? You know with kids abf whatnott, more reasons for sasuke to keep living, right...**

This story will have a happy ending. As to what it is going to be, I cannot reveal much without spoiling it for you so you will have to read to find out.

 **onlyluna: ...But I can't really picture him as ugly. Lol...**

Lol, neither can I. That is just his depression talking.

 **Guest: ...I would have to stop here though... I still get very affected by individuals with depression as it reminds me of my ongoing struggle with it. I can't get past the feelings that are thoroughly described...**

 **Guest: Your story is good, but I think I may have to stop reading because I've been a little depressed myself and this is not a good place for me,. Thank you for your story though, I'll try to come back...**

I am sorry that my story made you experience those unpleasant feelings all over again. It was not my intention. I understand if you don't want to read this story any further. But whenever you wish to return, I will welcome you with open arms:)

 **Guest: ...Do they even sleep together? I mean have they been intimate or are they still trying to get to know each other...**

I thought I made it clear in the first chap that they were intimate. I think they are at that point in their relationship where physical intimacy is only natural and expected. They do feel strongly for each other, after all.

 **Guest: ...Kill yourself...**

Sorry hon, no can do. If you want me gone, you have to come down and do it yourself;)

 **...fucked up virgin.**

*stares at the screen long and hard.*

 _fucked up virgin_? _What doe..._

I give up.

 **Phew, done. Now, on with the story.**

 **Disclaimer** : **Don't own Naruto**

 **Excuse my errors.**

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Hinata decided that Sasuke wasn't taking care of his hair so she took matters in her own hands. She ambushed him on his day off, in their living room right when he was putting on his sandals, ready to flee for his wife had revealed every single detail of the torture that he would undergo for the coarse offense against her fingers the previous night that had, regrettably, put an immediate stop to her touchy-feely explorations of his face and she had whispered in his ear all the atrocities she'd commit against his hair because he wasn't doing it himself. So, when he tried to sneak silently out of the house, she was there, armed and ready to go. And thus Sasuke ended up by her feet on the veranda as she messaged his scalp with lukewarm oil and went on about _Matsuki_ , the protagonist of the novel she just finished reading, and a sadist of a man that she was in love with and who had swept her off her feet despite him being a total ass hole.

It was sunny and the warmth was slightly tinged with a pleasurable touch of chill from the rain that poured the previous night. The winter was taking its final breaths and Sasuke had to admit that it felt nice; from the gentle ministrations of Hinata's petite fingers to her soothing voice narrating the most cringe-worthy piece of literature he found himself listening to; even the orange he was snacking on, despite it's strange blend of sweet yet citrusy flavor, was not half bad. "So because he's rich, famous and handsome, he can get away with practically anything he does to her after a... uh... bedroom session? He winced at a relatively sharp tug at a strand of his hair for his insolence because no one asked for his opinion.

She washed his hair afterwards, with a garden hose much to his embarrassment, conditioned it and brushed until it was dry and shinning. She did a great job of it, he decided as he ran his hand for the hundred and sixty-eighth time because it was that soft. Maybe he should let her do it more often. And as token of his appreciation, he offered to make dinner which his wife accepted enthusiastically and ran to their bedroom to get back to her novel.

In the battle field, he was lightening but in their kitchen he was a storm and not ten minutes after he had stepped into that realm, a large boom resounded signaling that something went terribly wrong and Hinata rushed to check if her husband didn't accidentally kill himself because he couldn't die on her leaving a mess behind when she had spent the entire morning scrubbing the kitchen floor until it could very well be used as a mirror. She narrowed her eyes at him, standing amidst all the curry on the floor, wondering how did it spiraled down to this. "Uh... want to go out for dinner?"

Sasuke didn't like Konoha very much but he did have a few spots he liked, like the new sushi bar that opened couple of months ago that Hinata hadn't been to and she had complained all the way to the village about not being big on seafood but surrender upon Sasuke's insistence, "at least give it a try." And she had indeed _not_ liked the food and ended up ordering for dessert as her husband finished her share as well. Even her juice tasted funny and she had to steal sips from Sasuke's alcohol based drink and by the time he realized what she had been up to, it was already too late and Hinata was smiling for no reason in particular and there was a blush crawling up her face. She was drunk.

He slammed the money on the table, swearing to never return to the place and dragged Hinata out the place before she did something really embarrassing and cried buckets because of it once sober. They hadn't gotten far when she jumped onto his back, wrapped her legs around his torso and demanded a piggyback ride to home, making his face burn at the stares they received from the passers and he quickly shook her off. She pouted, elbowed him and then glared, "you're m-mean." Her mood took a one-eighty degree turn and she flashed a smile at him, getting on her toes to kiss him on the cheek, "but y-you're handsome so you're f-f-forgiven. I, however, wanna be on t-top this time."

His face turned the color of his sharingan.

A very happy Sasuke did return to the place to inquire about the drinks and hopefully get a recipe.

* * *

 **Next time** **: Flashbacks** **. I know you want it. Lol.**

 **Leave a review if it isn't too much trouble.**

 **TAYYABALARAIB**


	6. Chapter 6

**Interlude**

 **This entire chap is a flashback. Pov's alternate between Hinata's and Sasuke's.**

 **Thanks everyone for your support. I really want to finish this story and it's the reviews that fuel me to keep going.**

 **Disclaime** **r** **: Don't own Naruto.**

 **Excuse my errors.**

* * *

It was weird how he'd let someone talk him down, as if he were a child, and still not feel offended by it. It was even weirder that, of all people, it was Hyuuga Hinata, the girl who should win medals in meekness who was chastising him softly, as she worked to bandage his injured arm, about something along the lines of him being careless and risking the success of the mission and endangering the life of his teammates and several other things which he had blanked out in favors of staring at her face.

She had very warm eyes.

.

.

.

She had always known that despite having _his_ ring around her finger, she didn't have his heart. _He_ had told her himself but she had foolishly accepted it with promises that he would at least try to be happy with her.

Asuka was a fool.

And now he was gone - her Neji but not really. He was _hers_. Always. Every part of him had belonged to _her_. His heart, his soul and now his life. He had died for _her._ Smiling, happy, staring deep into _her_ eyes. Oh what a fitting end to a selfless lover.

 _She_ should keep his ring too. What purpose did it serve around her finger? "He always imagined you with it. It's only fair that you have it."

Hinata broke down.

.

.

.

They had been breathing down his throat ever since his return but promised to go easy on him if he gave them some sort of reassurance that he won't run away, again. "Settle down and they might lessen your sentence."

Sasuke thought about a certain pale-eyed girl with dark hair.

.

.

.

She always tried to run away, but like a shadow he always caught up.

"I know I was stupid and it took me too long. I-I always longed to hear those words but... I'm sorry. I kept you waiting. You deserve better. We, no, _I_ could try. I can love you. Maybe-"

"I can't Naruto, I'm sorry. You don't have to." She tried to flee yet again but he caught her wrist gazing at her, silently, pleading, begging...

"I don't deserve any favors from you, I'm aware, but if nothing... if nothing than give me friend back, please."

And all she could do was whisper apologizes to him. There was nothing else she could offer.

.

.

.

"So I heard you asked Hinata's old man for her hand."

His fingers halted on the kunai he had been sharpening and he looked up, "Do you resent me for it?"

The blond merely shook his head. "No, no. That's not it. It's not like I had any claim on her or anything."

His feelings for her had been no secret to Sasuke. Nor was his heart break. Only when he was sure there was nothing between them had he made the next move. "Naruto... "

"She hates me Sasuke. She holds me responsible for _his_ death."

"She shouldn't."

"I know and she knows too. And she's sorry even but it doesn't change the fact that she does." Silence lingered before he continued, "She hates herself more."

.

.

.

"Nee-chan, can I sleep with you tonight?" Hinata did not miss the trembling in her voice but she choose not to comment on it because she knew. She knew what kept Hanabi up at night. So she scooted over to make some space.

Hanabi slipped in and curled in her sister's back. She was scared of her future as a Hyuuga and it showed in the wetness on Hinata's back.

How could she have been so blind to her sister's misery? Maybe because it had taken her too long to recover from Neji's death or maybe because she had been too consumed by the silent praises the Hyuugas directed at her in the small nods and smiles on their faces. She was a survivor of war, had played a vital role in their victory and now they finally looked her way as their future leader. She had wanted this, always wanted this but now... she wasn't so sure anymore.

Her sister would be sealed, and she should be, being the younger of the two. That's was their heritage, the way of the hyuuga. But...

... a sister's heart refuse to accept that fate.

.

.

.

"Why do you wish to marry?"

Sasuke wondered that too sometimes. Maybe because he had finally fallen prey to konoha's elders and their schemes. Maybe because he wanted a clean slate, to start anew, to finally move on from his past and all the hate and from Sasuke _the_ Uchiha to Sasuke _an_ Uchiha. "I... want a home."

She nodded. He expected her to ask for more, it was somewhat far-fetched for her to be content with just his desire for a family. She must have hopes, dreams about her future that didn't look very appealing with someone like him, if he said so himself.

But as it seemed, some things time taught better than anyone else and he'd learn too, eventually, that no body loved better than a man who _needed_.

.

.

.

"I'm not really who you think I am."

She told him, standing before Konoha memorial, gaze transfixed on a single name carved across the stone.

"We all have our demons but it's the fight we fight against them that defines us." He told her. "Besides I'm not exactly innocent so I'm no one to pass judgement."

Hinata looked up at the sky and sighed. Yes, she was a fighter.

.

.

.

It did not take much for her to convince the Hyuuga that she was the same weak heiress that they had shunned away in favors of a stronger, more confident candidate - a simple match-up that she let Hanabi win; funny how they were the ones known to possess 'all seeing eyes'.

But Hiashi refused to see. He walked out before a victor could be determined. Soon there were heads shaking, people whispering, the dojo hummed with their murmuring and for the first time it was Hinata who stood with her head held high and it was Hanabi with a blurry vision. She had wanted to say something but Hinata dismissed it with a bow and walked away.

 _It's okay_ , Hinata wanted to tell her because they would never seal her. She had outlived that age. She was free now and so was her sister. _I leave the Hyuuga to you._

Yes it was okay, even if the it was too big a price to pay, it was okay. After all, this was her redemption.

.

.

.

Their marriage was a simple affair in autumn, a mere contract on paper, done with in less than a minute. A dinner followed and they were off to his small home on the hills.

Before they left, Hiashi had her small hands in his and he touched it to his eyes. "Thank you."

On her way home, she wondered if he would've done the same had she been in Hanabi's shoes. Hinata quickly shook her head, it was wrong to entertain such thoughts. He was a father after all. They didn't do favorites.

.

.

.

* * *

 **Leave a review if it isn't too much trouble.**

 **TAYYABALARAIB**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.**

 **Excuse my errors.**

* * *

"No."

His monosyllabic responses were starting to grate on her nerves. For the time Hinata had been with her husband, she had not known him for a stubborn person who couldn't be swayed upon little persuasion when she was anything but assertive. Sure, he had his own set of opinions, laden with logic because the guy was not much behind Shikamaru in brains but he was always open-minded about hearing others out and draw a conclusion afterwards because even the smartest made mistakes and because seeing something with a slight slant minimized the chances of committing errors.

Perhaps that was why she was finding the entire ordeal somewhat exasperating. The courage she had gathered to yet again plead her case in his court was slowly being replaced by vexation at his incessant refusal. Sasuke wasn't one to dismiss logic but what could one do if a person suddenly turned a blind eye to it when it was as conspicuous as the day's sun? "But we need it Sasuke and I have been a kunoichi all my life. Why is it so unacceptable now? Is it because you don't trust me to take care of myself?"

The bowl of rice he had been working on sat neglected on the table as his heated gaze zeroed down on her. This discussion was growing old and still Hinata deemed it necessary to bring it up every once a while when she clearly knew what his answer was going to be. "Don't try to turn this on me. Am I failing to provide for you? If there is something you want just say it and I'll get it for you."

"How? By working extra missions? Don't you get that maybe I want you home sometimes? You wouldn't have to work so hard if you'd only allow me to work too." She was begging now and it was somewhat demeaning because she did not need his permission. No, she was an independent woman with her own choices and even if her little act of rebellion would only win his disapproval, he'd eventually learn to respect her decision or accept it at least. But that'd be only insulting when he worked sweat and blood for the very reason - that she did NOT.

It wasn't that he was an orthodox person who found fault in women working. Far from it actually, he had conducted with them on several occasions and was of the belief that there were things that they were better at than the other sex. He, however was born an Uchiha and the ideals that were drilled in him in the short eight years that he lived in Uchiha household dictated that their women, once married, employed their skills to protect their young ones with dignity within the confines of their homes. It was a voice of authority in the back of his mind, unquestionable, the voice of his deceased clan and it said that their women did _not_ work and as if it was what kept him tied to his roots, defying it was unthinkable. And maybe that was what prompted him to slam his fist against the table, toppling the china bowl in the process, rice flying everywhere; and glare at her with such intensity that she took a step back. "This discussion is over and you will _not_ bring it up again. Ever."

His contempt directed to her was something entirely alien.

Hinata busied herself with the dishes to hide her tears, scrubbed the kitchen floor until it was sparkling, cleaned the cabinets and then did the dishes again. Sasuke was extra thirsty that evening perhaps, showed up a couple of times for a drink and again for something Hinata couldn't be bothered to help him find. He eventually fell asleep when it got late and that was when she took her leave and surrender to weariness with swollen eyes.

.

.

.

It took three long and torturous days of utter dismissal and silence on Hinata's part for him to finally confide in Naruto. The amount of patience that guy practiced was something Sasuke both admired and envied for he had been nothing short of whiny, blubbering child before him. The blond was far wiser than he actually appeared even if his thoughts, when put in words, sounded stupid and childishly optimistic; they were tales of truth based on first-hand experience, narrated poorly but lived the best. There was something in Naruto that made it difficult to forget him, someone who was above hating and keeping grudges and Sasuke's reluctance felt entirely unneeded when he readily came up with a fix as if already having it in store. " Set your priorities straight, okay? I know your clan matters a lot to you and you wanna honour their memory in your own way but she's the Uchiha now. She's there and they're not and this will not make them happy cuz they're gone but it sure is making her sad so... yeah. Do what ya young married couples do. Kiss and make up. Say you're sorry. Let her win this once. It's okay to concede sometimes, ya know."

He went home early that evening before Hinata had a chance to retire for the night just to not have to deal with him as she had done the previous two nights. Sasuke didn't look forward to the wrapped meals she left for him even if it made his taste buds tingle just as much as any of her freshly prepared meal did but what he did look forward to was her ' _welcome-back-home'_ hugs that he missed so desperately. She gave her undivided attention to the broth she worked on even as he stood inside the kitchen for a good few minutes deciding on what to say to her. In the end, he left the piece of paper he brought with him home on the counter and left.

It didn't take long for her to confront him about it even when she knew exactly what was that sheet and what it entailed. She was a picture of apprehension and hope - perhaps she misunderstood, perhaps he had a change of heart. Whatever it was, it was better than those sixty-two hours of emptiness that she had begun to fear wouldn't disappear and indeed his confirmation had come as nothing short of relief and she had been right to identify that it was a job advertisement for an academy instructor that her husband wished for her to apply. "You already do so much as it is. Just... take it easy, okay?"

She couldn't keep herself from gathering him in her arms and crush him to her and when he permitted her to _juuken_ him the next time he raised his voice with her, she couldn't help but laugh and tell him that she wouldn't mind taking him up on that offer. And with a kiss, she punctuated their short conversation.

* * *

 **Leave a review if it isn't too much trouble.**

 **TAYYABALARAIB**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.**

 **Excuse my errors.**

* * *

There were many things Hinata despised about Hyuuga household. The undue branching of the family into main and side wings being one; the unvoiced slavery that came with the lower status of the branch members and the ease with which they fit into the said role as if responding to some inbuilt command being second. She hated how the maids came with their signature gossipiness and liked to indulge in idle chit-chat that molded the truth into something unrecognizable even when Hyuugas were not known for their chattiness, subtlety being something of foreign worlds.

Sometimes, Hinata wished shoji doors were made of thicker stuff.

 _"... involved with another woman and have a child on the way."_

 _"How horrible! Is that why he disappeared suddenly? Poor thing, that girl. She deserves better than that."_

 _"That's what happens when you trust a snake."_

She curled into herself and buried her face in the pillow to drown out their voices, letting a wet patch bloom beneath her cheek. A silent pray left her lips for his wellbeing and safe return and for these false rumors to just stop because her husband was an honorable man and above those disgusting labels they associated with him. She breathed a relieved sigh when it grew quiet on the other side of the door and the women carried themselves away on poorly hushed feet. Perhaps this was their way of getting back to her for all the trouble she put them through just to drag her out for a meal when food was the last thing on her mind. She knew this wasn't the last she heard of them. They'd return with spicier tales to tell.

Her bed had become her sanctuary as of late and it was an almost impossibility to drag her out of it but she was begrudgingly made to abandon her covers when Hanabi's loud voice demanded an entry followed by loud banging that pounded heavily against her skull. The Hyuuga heiress eyed her from head to toe when the parted door revealed the Uchiha female in her disheveled glory but decided to not comment on her messy hair and swollen eyes and simply invited herself in with a tray of food accompanying her. Despite her knotted bowels, Hinata stuffed her face with a couple of spoonful of rice and washed it down with some water. A thought halted her next bite mid-air - she wondered if Sasuke was eating right or if he still had enough rations to prepare himself a sizeable meal or if he was still in a condition to make himself something; healthy and on his feet and not injured and blee-

She dashed towards the bathroom as the line of thinking brought the rice back up her throat, her sister hot on her trail. She chocked on the bile dribbling down her chin and brought her sleeve up to press against her face, turned to her to voice her questions but finding her throat close up again, this time, with tears. "W-why won't anyone tell me anything? Where is _he_ , Hanabi? Why can't Naruto-kun find him? "

She wished she could tell them all _'told you so'_ , that she was right to worry whenever he left for missions despite everyone telling her not to; that they were wrong to say _'hey, it's Sasuke we're talking about. Since when does he ever mess up?';_ that it was unrealistic of them to blur the boundaries of his limitations; that it was one thing to have faith in someone, it was entirely another to think them God.

But she couldn't when it was her world being ripped apart.

Two weeks. That's how long he had been missing, when the last mission he left for didn't require more than a couple days. Search parties had been dispatched, one personally led by Naruto, but no luck so far.

Just when things were starting to look up for them. They were getting there where they wanted to be, slowly but surely. He had been so happy lately, healthy, content even with a single meal daily that they got to share together with the time that they could manage because of her job, a few hours of sleep in the warmth of her embrace, his tiny corner of the garden that he had dedicated to growing herbs for their tea doing well under his care. It swelled her heart with happiness and love for him when she heard him hum her tone in the mornings while he prepared breakfast in the kitchen, his playful teasing that was becoming his favorite pastime, his easy smiles and unbashful laughter that came to him effortlessly now... How would she be able to go about her life without these thing in it? Without _him_ in it?

She'd take her life, no matter how shameful an act it was. She doubted she could take another heartbreak at the hand of someone she loved.

"I don't know. I visited hokage-sama today. They're still looking for him, you know how Naruto nii-chan is. He won't rest until he finds him."

Her words eventually calmed her down and she followed her sister to the Hyuuga gardens but was made to retreat to the safety of her room at the pitying gazes directed at her. She waited the bright yellow of the afternoon sunlight pouring through the slit in her window shutter to turn caramel and for all the pearlescent eyes to close for a nap before she set off for her little home in the hills.

She loved how the sinking sun lit their home aglow, caressing its wooden walls with its golden fingertips, kissing its floors, bathing the entire place in a soothing warmth. It was borderline torturous how his presence still lingered even with him gone, how he still walked the hallways in the creaking wood beneath her feet. The air that carried his scent got stuck in her throat and her grip on the door frame was the only thing keeping her from crashing hard on her knees. A soaked sob escaped her cracked lips when she crawled to their worn out _kotatsu_ , slipping her weak legs beneath it, missing his strength to carry her through the day.

She didn't know when or how she fell asleep but the next she awoke, he was there looking down on her with tired eyes. She blinked several times to tell real apart from dream but when she did, she was smothering him in her tight embrace, arms hanging by his neck in a choking noose, wailing and kissing his face as if he would disappear again any moment. She made him promise repeatedly about never leaving her again and confessed her love over and over and over that it brought even him to tears. He struggled with words of his own but her declarations left him tongue tied so he carried her to their room where he'd give his love for her a physical form.

.

.

.

Her shyness seemed to return inside their room and soon she was trembling under his shaky fingertips, him fighting demons of his own. He loved loving her but it was in moments like these, when they were together that he thought that perhaps he should turn away lest he ruined her too. He could taint her, maybe, may be not but maybe; and he couldn't take that chance, that one _'maybe'_ when she stared so trustingly back at him.

It was in moments like these, when she saw the turmoil in his eyes with her brilliant ones that she brought his face close to her lips to blow at it once and clear that cloud of doubt from his mind that was quickly taking over and he'd resume pulling at her obi with care that people practiced with their most prized possessions; as if pulling a flower apart to reach its treasured center. Her heart fluttered under his touch like a bird and she grabbed onto his shoulders for leverage when her kimono pooled at their feet, warm against their toes like the temple's marble steps under their naked feet after a long day in the sun. He was never impatient with her, always steering their love making on her terms even with every voice inside him told him otherwise. But could he justify it if it turned into something selfish? Then it would be another round of meaningless sex, wouldn't it? Love was more than just the name of a physical practice. It took all of your selflessness, your respect and your patience to truly love someone.

And Sasuke was never known for doing half assed job.

* * *

 **Leave a review if it isn't too much trouble. Let's hit that 200-review mark, shall we?;)**

 **Tayyabalaraib**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.**

 **Sorry for the long delay. I have a long chap to make up for it. Thank you for your support. I really appreciate it.**

 **Excuse my errors.**

* * *

It all started with the dirty dishes Sasuke thoughtlessly discarded into the sink.

Now Hinata wasn't the type to get worked up over something as trivial as unattended pile of dishes but for some reason that even she failed to explain but would make much sense later, the sight of greasy broth with chunks of half eaten bread casually floating atop had just made her snap.

Her red-hot rage was volcanic in eruption.

His stance was defensive, throwing half-hearted remarks helplessly, clueless as how to approach an enraged woman. He had Hinata to blame for it who had never allowed him to practice much in this department but was suddenly responding to some inbuilt voice that Sasuke thought most woman, if not all, were born with. She screamed and yelled as if that was something she majored in, leaving Sasuke scratching the back of his head. She had been irritable lately and he knew that it wasn't the stack of dirty dishes that was the problem. Nor was the small comment he teasingly reflected the other day that had gotten her worked up or his elbow that had poked her in his sleep and kept her awake several nights ago or the food he had complained about when it was he who had ruined it by distracting her unintentionally or... or maybe he shouldn't have complained?

But when her eyes rolled back into her sockets and it was purely out of reflex that he reached out for her before she met the hard floor; he realized that maybe, somewhere, he did mess up. That, however didn't matter now as she laid unresponsive in his arms and nothing he did, from calling out her name to gently slapping her cheek, would rouse her. It was only when he promised that he'd do the dishes from then on that she awoke.

It was almost endearing watching him hovering over her in concern, bordering between cute and sexy. She wished to reach out and smooth that frown of his, her anger long forgotten amidst the care that he showered her over something that should demand a celebration. "Neh, Sasuke. I could be pregnant." She explained how she had missed her period and the only thing that delayed the smooth slipping of his warm hand beneath her shirt and spreading the fingers across the expanse of her belly was his temporary freeze. A sharp intake of breath followed when he sensed the small chakra and he stared at her with the most incredulous set of mismatched eyes. "Well?"

"It's there."

She sent her gratitude for this little joy that no money in the world could buy them before she regarded him with her moist gaze. "A congratulation is in order then, daddy."

Sasuke grinned with all his frontal teeth on display and Hinata wondered if his jaw hurt. And then he bent down to capture her lips in his.

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.

Hinata had not expected Sasuke to be up and running so soon after he had returned from his mission only hours ago. What surprised her even more was the energy he exhibited, moving in and out of the spare bedroom fluidly and swiftly, dragging furniture around noisily and looking happy doing so. He looked sugar-high with wide eyes and inability to stay in spot. Upon seeing her, he smiled and motioned her over to him. "Nata, do we still have plastic sheets from last year? "

She eyed the paint cans sitting innocently in one corner of the room. "I think so. What are you doing up so early?" The sun was still hovering only a little above the horizon and even if Sasuke seldom slept in late, in Hinata's opinion, he hadn't had enough rest to sleep off the weariness of a week-long mission. With her putting her instructor duties on hold for the time period of her pregnancy, Sasuke was desperate to save money for their baby and thus threw himself into one mission after another which often left him lethargic and pretty much unable to even get out of bed. At the moment however, he presented an entirely different picture.

"Setting up the nursery."

"But we still have months to go." She said laughingly.

His hand stilled on the metal lid he had been trying to open with a screw driver, her laughter making him think almost embarrassingly that this whole thing followed a code he hadn't bothered looking into. His eyebrows dipped down into a frown, "But I want to do this now."

Her heart swelled at the sight of him looking so disheartened at the prospect of abandoning the labor he so badly wanted to indulge in. She still was getting used to the idea of having a baby but he had already switched into _'daddy_ _mode'_ , wanting to do things he normally shied away from. Sasuke wasn't a very vocal person but nothing showed someone's love for another than the desire to do something for them. And for that, Hinata bent down to reward him with a peck on his cheek. "I'll go get the sheets."

And when he finished, she knew that when it came to their father, their child would have no trouble feeling cherished and loved.

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"Where are they?" Her cry rang from the other room and Sasuke wondered what it was about pregnancy that made it so weird, other than the fact that there was a being growing inside of you.

A red faced Hinata emerged at the kitchen door like the rising sun peeking from behind the horizon - a promise of a hot day ahead, making him pause mid-sip of his lukewarm tea as she waved a small plastic bottle in his face. "What is this, Sasuke?"

Serenely, he put his cup down with a dull click, picking at imaginary fur on his pants' leg in a attempt to buy himself some time before his impending doom because he had gone behind her back and betrayed her trust in the worst way possible... in Hinata's opinion, at least. "Hand wash."

"I know what it is!" There was just no winning with pregnant woman, was there? "What did you do with my soap, that's what I'm asking?"

The poor guy rummaged through his mental vocabulary to come up with a subtler way to say 'I threw them all out' before he surrendered and groveled at her feet for forgiveness as it was his only chance of surviving this because what horrible person throws away their wife's favorite soaps just because of their crazy infatuation with them, courtesy of pregnancy hormones? Uchiha Sasuke apparently. "Nata, we didn't need them so I discarded it. Besides hand wash is more han-"

Betrayal painted clearly across her face, her disbelief reflecting in her moist glassy eyes and quivering lips. "W-why would you do this t-to me?" Oh, that was an easy one. Maybe because it wasn't healthy, for her or anyone for that matter, to be walking around and even going to bed with a bar of soap pressed to her nose like some sort of addict. He even saw her salivate at the sight of it once and that was NOT normal. What if she ate it and got sick and his baby drowned in soap lather? "I-I thought you loved me but you don't, do you? Not when I'm fat and ugly, right?"

On the contrary in fact, Sasuke thought that other than the mood swings, pregnancy had contributed to her in all the right ways from filling her up to that radiance that agreed completely with her name. There was an air of motherliness to her, eyes softer and kinder and it just pulled him to her. But she would never know, not when he lacked the vocal skills to voice it and she the patience to stand his presence at the moment.

But he'd be there with a bag of fresh cinnamon buns to help her wash away that soapy taste from her mouth when she finally realizes that looks (and smells) could indeed be deceiving.

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Sasuke was a good man - Hinata knew it best - but the journey to that person was made on uneven grounds, on cracked roads, upon which he had stumbled sometimes and fell the other, painting his soul with scars that would never heal but was ultimately shaped into who he was now. A shinobi's was a wanderer's life and she had been long since conditioned to awake alone in bed without the sense of disappointment consuming her but even then a part of him stayed in the plate of wrapped, half burned toast and eggs and in the small sticky notes on the fridge door and the pile of haphazardly folded laundry he stacked in the corner of the living room in a hurry; nothing like the empty shell of the man who looked her way as if she weren't there, as if _he_ weren't there. It was days like these when he drowned himself in his training until his legs gave out beneath him and not even she could turn him away from the training post he unleashed his wrath on because if he didn't have time for her, he didn't have time for feeling depressed either.

And Hinata loved that man, with his smiles and with his scars but when her plate was already so full, it got really tiring sometimes.

Standing behind him holding an umbrella over his head, the cold, rainy wind biting against her skin and a mile's distance between her and their home; today was one of those _'sometimes'_. But he ruthlessly disregarded that one mile walk in the rain with her seven-month pregnant belly and that meal she had spilled her day preparing just for him in hopes that it would cheer him and then abandoned it despite her body so badly demanding it with a single, monotonous "leave". Her persuasions for him to return home with her fell on deaf ears and she went back the way she came, to that cold meal and even colder home.

At times like these, when she watched him from the sidelines struggling alone because it felt like she didn't matter enough to make a difference, she wished she could hate him - a thought ephemeral as the thin streak of light tearing through the thick clouds to color her path because her little bundle would be tapping at her inside in a strange blend of uncomfortable yet soothing strokes making her laugh and adore her boys all the more. Her baby alone was a reason enough to love the man who gave her him and she believed with all her heart that he would heal his wounds as he did her - a thought both a prayer and faith.

The journey back home wasn't so cold any more.

.

.

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"Daisuke... " dichromic eyes shifted from their book to the head of dark hair tucked comfortably on his lap. "What do you think?"

It was one of those soothing winter afternoons when things still needed to be done and chores awaited their due attention but you adored those rare bouts of lethargy that detested even the slightest effort it took to turn your head to look up at the one person that demanded your attention. So, she snuggled deeper into his stomach, rubbing her cheek against the softness of his sweater, voice thick with sleep. "Too common."

He nodded his head in agreement. "Eiji... Fumio... Goro..." his nose scrunched up at the name, "Hachiru... Hajime... Haru... Haruo... Hideki... Hideo... Hikaru..." a pause, "What about Hikaru?"

"Too Hyuuga-ish." She mumbled sleepily as her eyelids felt too heavy to stay open.

He bobbed his knee to shake her to wakefulness. "Wake up, woman. It's my child's future at stake." She swatted his knee and made herself comfortable again on the veranda, his leg for a pillow. Sasuke didn't have the heart to disturb her rest even if he did worry for his baby. He had once been a puny, four-year-old when all that summed up his tiny world was his mother's bentos, his father's disregard, an affectionate older brother and snot-nosed, high-pitched brats who took it upon themselves to voice any flaw that marred others, torturously so. Merciless creatures those were and hadn't spared even his kind, gentle brother of the verbal abuse who wouldn't even hurt a fly despite his exceptional ninja prowess being the talk of every shinobi household. Though it'd be much later when he'd actually ponder over the fact that his parents named their loveable son after a not-so-lovable carnivore. Perhaps they were gifted with the ability of precognition or perhaps it was his deeds being laid out before him was what he thought in the years of utter hate for him.

The air around them stirred, tinted with the lemony hint of his tea wafting up his nose. Sasuke bared his good hand of the weight of the book to secure the blanket around her, hoping to keep the chill of the weather away from her fragile body made even more vulnerable to the cold clutches of the frost by the life growing inside of her. Though Konoha was known for its bright summers, for the past few years, it had been visited by snowy winters and even if they weren't quite into those months yet, his breath condensing around his mouth when the trees had yet to rid of their reddening leaves dictated that he'd be shoveling white, cotton-y mounds off his backyard real soon.

His fingers ghosted over Hinata's warm wrist, feeling the sun soaking into her skin. The idea of them avoiding the heat only months back sounded almost surreal now. But that's how time is - a market where the worth of things climbed and fell because who'd have thought that his life would be reduced to that of a man who fought to provide and not take, whose future depended on the life breathing inside his wife's womb and not the breath he wished to suck out of someone else. A wife, a child, a family. Was it really that long ago that he detested the very idea of it? They were the sun that lightened his world now before which even the blackness of his past paled.

"Taiyou." A whisper that escaped his parted lips, a caress, almost loveable.

Hinata smiled without even parting her eyelids. "That's a nice name."

Sasuke looked down at her briefly, eyeing the contentment that was written boldly on her face before he leaned back to rest his head against the wooden pillar and closed his eye, the sunlight kissing his pale skin and his lips curling up at its corner.

He agreed.

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.

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* * *

 **Taiyou means sun / thick sunlight.**

 **The soap chronicles were inspired by true events:D**

 **Leave a review if it isn't too much trouble.**

 **Tayyabalaraib**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.**

 **Excuse my errors.**

* * *

 _It's like your breath melting against your mouth, a winter at its final moments, a spring erupting from thick mounds of snow, a dainty flower breaking through the frost to meet the sun._

It reminded Hinata of their little game of peek-a-boo, the translucent curtain flickering before her in the warm summer breeze, teasing her with glimpses of her world when her smile emerged easier than her next breath.

 _When lonely isn't lonely anymore. When waking up wrapped only in your warmth is actually a relief. When the new day smells like baby powder and your morning alarm is ringing loud in their laughter, pulling hard at your heart, stronger than the physical tie you had severed with a kitchen knife, pouring as much as the sky outside because where you need strength for two, you can't spare even for one. Because the only thing bigger than life itself is that one person, the absence of whom is a quickly establishing norm. And it is easy to forgive him, so easy, when despite the paradox in which one is offering and the other demanding, they're so alike and in not merely making you strong._

They were a mess of tangled hair and soiled trousers, shirts abandoned in their haste to get to garden before the morning sunlight itself could touch the earth beneath, armed and ready around the tiny plant budding its first flowers. Sasuke's trusted, old trowel was already a few inches into the ground while Taiyou's green one was spraying chunks of dirt everywhere in his clumsy hands, several of which landed in the older Uchiha's hair. Hinata laughed from the window of their bedroom, heart so full with the love of them that she feared it'd burst.

 _It's like finding a puzzle piece you never knew was missing, one that makes a woman out of a timid shy girl, a fierce warrior that even years of shinobi life couldn't shape. You can kill for him and you have never been so sure of anything in your life before. Sometimes it is frightening how this new bond has morphed you into something that is not undesirable in its entirety but unrecognizable when the thought of protecting is always at your mind's forefront and 'never going back on your words' is a distant memory. It is another paradox - you're kindest when you're cruelest and this cruelty you will happily embrace because it is just a matter of perspective and it is theirs that counts._

Taiyou was a little gardener in his own right even when he was so puny that for Sasuke he could pass for a baby tomato - standing only a little above the rusty watering can that he was desperately trying to pick up. An ungraceful fall landed him face first onto the ground, his grey eyes, big and shiny looked up to his father for assistance and loving. Unlike Hinata for whom it took all her will power to keep the mother in her at bay and not leap over the windowsill and get to her baby boy to soothe his aches, Sasuke remained crouched before the plant, hand clasped tightly around his garden tool, a father's smile playing on his lips reflecting the pride he felt for his son. "Who's otou-san's braveheart?"

 _You now have answers to all the questions you used to ask your sensei. His two chubby hands that can't even hold a pencil is painting your world, stretching and limiting, a new dimension where he is the thought that starts and ends your day, the air that get stuck in your throat, the smile you smile, the tears you shed._

It's surprising sometimes how naturally fatherhood came to Sasuke. He could easily have Taiyou conduct the way he wanted with a few encouraging words and smiles, just as he did now that had him instantly on his feet, face morphed into a determined expression, standing strong, "U'm otou-san's bwavehaut." It rewarded him with his father's full attention who abandoned his trowel to scoop him up in his arms and pepper his face with a couple kisses that hopefully no one saw.

Even with un-brushed teeth and soil stuck between the toes of their bare feet, Hinata had never seen something so beautiful; painted in the light of dawning sun, they were ethereal, a dream dreamt with open eyes. Their laughter rang in the wind chime singing over her window in the gentle breeze, in tone with the whispers of the lone Sakura blossom in her front yard. Something panged inside but for all the different reasons, reasons she wouldn't mind having her heart ache and break for. Winter rains didn't make her cry anymore nor did the setting sun. She had finally made peace with Neji's memories that were tucked safely in the depths of the most precious corner of her mind.

 _It is maddening and happy and sad and crazy and absolutely consuming_.

Because her orbit had shifted and her stars rose and fell in new horizons and they had never shone brighter.

 _Motherhood is everything._

* * *

 **So I had entire chapter sketched out about Taiyou's birth, of Sasukes absence( he's on a mission), how unprepared Hinata was because the baby was early, her being alone at home at that crucial time, her helplessness and loneliness; the glimpses of which can be seen in the italic-ed(?) content.**

 **The story is near its end, three chap left, four at most. I know it feels like a drabble fic, which it kind-of is, there is a plot it is following which you may be able to see if you squint. It will have a dramatic close though, even if i did try to avoid it throughout the story.**

 **Thank you for your support. Your views are always welcome.**

 **Tayyabalaraib**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

 **Hey guys. So, the last chap came out a bit vague. I had planned on writing two chap regarding the events unfolding that'd lead to the climax of this story, one in Sasuke's pov and the other in Hinata's but they were both very similar so I decided to merge the two chap and deleting the previous so if the chap feels like you've read it before, you're not imagining it;)There are however events very crucial to the progression of this story so don't skip over.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.**

 **Excuse my errors.**

* * *

It had never been like this - their discussions being reduced to doors slamming in their frames and nights creeping between their futons after a round of hushed screams in their bedroom. Silence had never lingered at dinner table and goodbyes had never sounded this distant. Hinata had not known her husband to be this angry man always on edge with Konoha always scheming be it a spar gone wrong at Taiyou's academy or his refusal to let them into what made him from that blubbering, little troublemaker to this brooding child running short on words. Granted, Taiyou was growing a little too fast for their liking when they couldn't seem to keep up with it, no longer the child clutching at his father's leg or catching small dirt jets pouring in with the beam of light through the cracks in the window shutters. The monsters in his closet that had once chased him to his parents' bedroom had vanished and it was both happy and sad that their little baby tomato wasn't a baby anymore.

With him, Sasuke's fears grew too where once they were concentrated on everything sharp and shiny - the pair of bathroom scissors or the tiled kitchen floor when Taiyou was so delicate and easily bruised - had now shifted to Konoha. And he would, if he could, take them away somewhere where there was no sharingan, no Uchiha, no massacre and no Konoha but then Hinata would have something to say about it and he would have something to say and even though their love was strong enough to stand any trial, some wounds did leave scars. He understood because she had not been betrayed by Konoha like he had and she understood too as she hadn't faced loss like he did but he was afraid and she was stubborn and swinging between the two just tire them out both. At the end of the day, Konaha was their home and there was no escaping it.

She just wished that it didn't feel criminal dressing their son up for the day under the scrutiny of his dichromic gaze and pleas dying at the tip of his tongue, that his tiny hand didn't feel heavy in hers as she walked him away from his father who stood at the door, tip toeing the edge of a heartbreak watching them become a smudge against a blue and white backdrop. She knew that he'd rather whisk Taiyou away from the world and make him forgot about shinobi and jutsu and sell flower crowns and dreams in that shop they used to plan about when he was still little.

She remembered how she had laughed when Sasuke had searched Taiyou for any bruise the first time he had returned from the academy but his paranoia could be endearing for so long when every return weighed heavily on her and every scratch was her fault - _if only you had let him stay home_. It wasn't easy seeing her baby roughened and bruised but it wasn't supposed to be and with their tenacity to get hurt... raising a child was hard but that was just how it was if only he would get that through his head.

It didn't help either with Taiyou's sudden melancholic disposition, his strides devoid of the bounce that had carried him to the academy the first day he went, and Sasuke's relentlessness to let it go and dig out his happy boy from under that gloom until the youngest Uchiha eventually broke down before his father and let him into all the bullying he was being subjected to for being different, being an Uchiha and being a traitor's son. Sasuke had been this close to throwing their stuff into the bags and leave the place once and for all but Hinata had right out told him that if he wished to go, he'd be going without her. And it had silenced him for good.

That didn't mean that Hinata didn't confront Shino about his students' conduct towards her son and make them answer to him about their behavior but it was a mother's wishful thinking that it would disperse all their problems until Taiyou's rage overwhelmed his patience and he hurt someone.

But unlike any other fight where he was the victim, they couldn't dismiss it as a dispute between children _\- the village council_ \- because he was an Uchiha before he was a child and he was threat to theirs so it justified his detention like it justified the massacre and Hinata realized a little too late that Konoha wasn't the benevolent benefactor she had known her entire life, that they always had an eye out for Uchiha blood that Sasuke was right and she was wrong. But the damage had been done and she had paid it with her son and no amount of begging and tears would get him back.

And Sasuke, he was a picture of devastation when he returned from a mission to not find his boy home and the only answer he received was Hinata's red rimmed eyes that just won't meet.

Later she would discover how he had rushed through the streets of Konaha like a mad man, hear from Naruto how he had staggered through academy halls looking for his son, breaking down doors and hurling furniture, screaming his throat raw about their injustice before the hokage and threats if they touched a hair on his body. But when he returned home without Taiyou, shoulder slouched and steps heavy, barely making past the front door before the weight of it all crushed him to floor, his world crumbling at Hinata's feet and she had been the only one to hold his pieces together lest they scattered. So there, at the threshold of their home that wouldn't be one without his son, he buried his face in her stomach and wailed. "They'll take him away. They'll take my Taiyou away."

* * *

 **Only two more chap guys.**

 **Leave a review if it isn't too much trouble.**

 **Tayyabalaraib**


	12. Chapter 12

**Final chapter**

 **Disclaimer : Don't own Naruto.**

 **This is it, guys.**

 **Excuse my errors. The chapter doesn't follow chronology and is scattered all over the place. Still I don't think its hard to make sense out of it.**

* * *

A thick murk reigned the sky when Sasuke finally managed to untangle himself from the knot of limbs to walk out of his bedroom, even if the four extra sets pushed him out of his futon and he half-ended on the floor, the only thought it mustered was what exactly happened to the man that once hated clingy and emotional. The rain pattered outside, fat droplets tumbling down the rooftop, drip-dropping in small puddles below like seconds flitting away. His footfall echoed through the now barren house, wood creaking beneath him and the wind chime pealing disapprovingly from the window and he heard them griping about his inevitable betrayal. His thoughts were marred with guilt and he owed many plenty of apologies.

The air that stirred through the parted shoji doors smelled of petrichor and old wood. Summer breathed its last breaths in the golden grass ruffled by the strong winds whispering news of new days after a long, drying spell. He no longer heard the cicadas chirp at night, the hive in the backyard eucalyptus had gone silent and nights were stretching. It was conclusion to another chapter he thought, that ached inside his chest painfully. Like a book you love, like sunset. There was a mourning quiet the had settled over the house at their impending departure, somewhere far away the world had unbent to accommodate his family with out demanding their blood - a man, a benevolent leader to the people of _Nishi_ , who'd make do with his sweat alone. _It is a new world I'm creating_ , he told in the missives he still despatched through a messenger bird, with his service and strength because Sasuke would bargain his very soul for Hinata and Taiyou.

 _"This country has known war for far too long, this country where hope has been kept alive only in dreams and dreamers are dubbed eccentric. And when I face them I tell 'so be it' because I would rather they called me eccentric than a traitor. But the thing is, I have known pain too. I know what it is like being driven to the person you can't even look in the eye because of it. I can tell a traitor from misguided. That is why I open my doors to you. It is a beautiful thing to dream."_

Kakashi asked, reluctantly of course because he thought he had let him down, if he was sure about this while his hand avoided his resignation like a paper bomb and his eyes refused to meet and it was the easiest affirmative he could give him.

 _"I am not my brother, Kakashi. I will never choose Konoha over my family."_

He had plenty of reasons to hate Konoha, for all that it took from him and all the dreams it crushed, for the innocence he lost too soon and the childhood he was stripped off too early. For his clan and mother and father despite the years of servitude, for Itachi - a known villain and an unsung hero, for Naruto whom he was driven to wrong and Sakura who only met the ugliest side of him. For the days he awoke shivering by his wife's side who's strength could only last as long as a mother's credulity and she'd too end in his arms with another day without Taiyou dawning in their sobs. And Kami, he could level the entire village if it only meant he could have him back but what kind of world would he be returning him to when it was his sins being laid out before his child? So he endured, another day trailing behind faceless people and begging nameless individuals and he hated Konoha a little more.

Yet his heart broke when Hinata decided to no longer ground him to Konoha with the letter she discovered that established his acquaintance with the leader of Nishi, once left to collect dust in his drawers in his study/living room. When she cried before him to consider it he thought that it was a waste of good tears because all she had to do was say. When has he ever denied her anything? His heart? His pride? His soul?

 _"We almost lost him Sasuke and all because of my stubbornness. I can live without Konoha, I can live without Hyuuga and sensei and Kiba and Shino. But I can't live without him. I can't."_

Sometimes, he felt as if he'd been drained of all the energy he once possessed in spades, his ears exhausted by the noise in his head and tongue worn out under the weight of the words be could and couldn't release. The sight of Taiyou halted him in his steps, tucked in his mother's lap watching the rain soak into yellowing cucumbers in his little garden left at the mercy of a not so merciful mother nature and he thought that he could spend the rest of his days just watching. It was a long life he had lived, far longer than any man his age and sometimes he just wished to sit down and breathe. And it didn't matter whether he'd been dragged through mud and muck to be here because he'd rather be nowhere than this little cottage of a house at the outskirts of the _Village Hidden in The leaves._

Because you can't lose bad without losing some of the good too. And the thought was reinforced when Naruto pated his shoulder sending him away, the moisture in his eye hidden behind his outstretched, orange clad arm...

" _See? I told you we'll rescue the little man. I can't believe you doubted me. Have I ever gone back on my word to warrant that kind of uncertainty?"_

And Sakura's prayer engulfing him in its warm embrace...

" _May Kami-sama watches over you."_

And people he hadn't given two shits about...

" _No need to cover extra distance, Ma. Call back the nin-dogs. There's much meat to hunt down at home."_

People who stood by him in these trying times...

" _Since when did a child's mistake become an offense? This is not the lesson I want my students, our children to learn : To withhold forgiveness."_

People who fought alongside him to free Taiyou...

" _Father disagrees but I'm with you in this, dear brother-in-law of mine._ They _do deserve a Juuken to the ass."_

People whom he now owed his life...

 _"We demand that my grandson be released if you fail to comply or we discover that he's been injured in any way, you'll find an enemy in us. You stand against the Uchiha clan, you stand against the Hyuuga. And you won't like us against you."_

And he realized that he could hate Konoha only as much as he hated himself and his self-loathing had never stood in the way of moving forward. So, when he left, he forgave.

Outside, the rain slowed down to a light drizzle, the sunlight teared through the thick clouds and shattered, painting the sky in many different hues. Despite the chill lingering in the air, warmth sank deep into his skin filling his bones. It was a rare bout of calm that conquered him, more than just the thought that the weather change would aid in their journey. Remotely, he registered Taiyou's voice calling for him from their carriage but in this moment where time was both ephemeral and eternal, he turned for the last time and reminisced. Darkness receded and dense white filtered in through the stained window panes bending and turning, moulding into three sets of shoes at the entrance. The breeze that flowed through the hallways was touched with the redolence of spring where he chased after Taiyou in his partly damp shorts from the water fight he had been engaged in and the little Uchiha's laughter ringing loud over the loud sizzling in kitchen and Hinata's humming. From the window in the living room, he smilingly watched them swimming through the rows of ripe tomatoes baking in the summer sun in their garden with straw baskets clutched in their hands and ice crumbling in abandoned mugs of lemonade in their veranda. A lump rose in his throat as he walked towards their bedroom, ridden with guilt, shame and regret for not making it to Taiyou's birth, for letting Hinata go through it all by herself. The heavens growled and cried, a tiny bundle pressed to a distressed Hinata's chest, shivering despite the electric heater warming their room, signs of birth prominent in the red wrinkles on his tiny body. But despite the tears in his eyes, his memory was generous enough to allow a glimpse of their trusted kotatsu that was a stop for many late-night cravings during her pregnancy and his failed attempts in the name of preparing her a decent snack. He lauged a breathy laugh that vaguely sounded like the hymn of freedom. Though replete with ups and downs, it was good life he had lived, he thought.

From where he stood behind her at the door, her white wedding kimono seemed almost luminescent. It was dark like the night reflecting in her eyes, staring off into the mountains and the only thing agreeing with the blackness around was her disheveled hair and dark lines smudging her cheeks.

 _"I may not be in a happy place right now, Sasuke. But I will not hold back on my love. I promise I will try. I'll try my best."_

And she had, to this very day and he owed it to her - this fond trip down memory lane tucked in his heart where he'd keep it safe until his soul deserted his body. Years back, this was not the kind of life he had envisioned for himself when hate had consumed him but commitment imprisoned one in his eyes. He still had to acknowledge fully the error in his judgement but he had stopped fearing it for a while now. Sometimes, the things that bind you are the things that set you free.

The sun had sunk behind the horizon when he returned to her side, darkness and silence ruling again. Taiyou slept peacefully in his mother's arms exhausted by the buzz of the day and Sasuke easily slipped him out of her hold without rousing him. When he turned to her, he could swear that Hinata saw it too trough him. Gratitude came to him easy now though admission still didn't and he thought it was about damn time that it did so he tipped his head a little towards the ground to which she merely smiled before moving to their ride.

She got it, without him needing to voice it. She always did.

* * *

 _ **Honeysuckle**_ **has several meanings in floriography that more or less translates to love, passion, happiness and unity. It signifies sweet life without much squabbles between the two partners.**

 **The plant windes itself to barks and trees and it is this "clinginess" that is often interpreted as unity in love. It is also believed to ward of evils and foretell an impending wedding.**

 **I believe that the title has done much justice considering every aspect of this fiction. When I first wrote this story, I hadn't given this title much thought and I don't know how or from where this came up but it kept ringing over and over in my head to the point I couldn't think of another title to this story. Coincidence? A writer's intuition? Who knows...**

 **It was an experiment at first, something I did to get rid of my writer's block. My biggest problem as a fanfic writer is that I keep editing my work, sometimes rewriting an already finished chapter from scratch. So I had started this story with the mind that I won't go back and edit it. The first chapter was written in one go. There was not much of a plot, just a simple outlay of only thousand words. I had wanted to know how it'd be received and was floored by the positive feedback I got. Truly it was mind blowing. I remember being the happiest girl ever.**

 **I don't know what it is about this story but it just flows. Out of all my works, this comes to me easiest. There are bits and pieces I've inserted of my life in this, their feelings and emotions are a reflection of mine. Their characters and relationship are not perfect and this is intentional on my part. Many a times, readers have expressed their disapproval about the way either of the two characters conducted. For example, a few weren't happy about Hinata's insistence about staying or how Sasuke didn't use force to free Taiyou, the answers to which are hinted at in this chapter. Hinata still has no clue about Itachi's sacrifice. Thus she can't even guess the extent of Sasuke's misery. If you wish to know why, give chapter 4 another read.**

 **Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favoured and followed. This journey would not have been what it is without you all.**

 **There will be a epilogue with a time jump of several years. It is halfway done so expect it soon.**

 **Leave your thoughts about the story. What you liked, disliked, what should and shouldn't have been, how I can improve and all.**

 **Until next time.**

 **Tayyabalaraib.**


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